Shaft coupling



April 19,1927.

K. F. UNGERER SHAFT COUPLING Filed April 22. 1924 may.

Patented Apr. 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT o1=1=1c KARL FRIEDRICH UNGERER, OF PFORSHEIM, GERMANY.

snare COUPLING.

Application filed April 22, 1924, Serial No. 708,286, and in Germany December 21, 1923.

The object of this invention is a. flexible clutch for use more particularly in coupling shafts and like members which assume an gular positions one to the other and should offer a certain amount of flexibility in all directions. This clutch or coupling will be found to be more particularly applicable to the driving of rollers of bending machines, rolling mills and the like. The particular advantage of the novel clutch resides 1n that its manufacture is extremely simple, and that while it is capable of ensuring a really sound transmission of power, it also offers,

clutch members are then asembled by means of slots centrally arranged therein. In this Way a cross shaped connecting or clutch member is produced which is adapted to reliably couple the two shaft ends one w th the other, while at the same time admitting all movements thereof both axially and at right angles thereto.

A constructional form of the improved clutch is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows the clutch applied to the adjacent ends of two shafts.

Fi ure 2 shows in perspective views respeictively, the slotting of the adjacent shaft en s.

Figure 3 shows one of the clutch members and,

Figure 4 the other clutch member separately in their relative positions and,

Figure 5 shows these clutch members fitted together likewise in perspective views.

The two shafts to be coupled are indicated b a and b. -In the end to be coupled, each sliaft is first of all rovided with a. circular bore 0 which is rilled therein at right angles to its axis, whereupon it is enlarged by means of an appropriate milling cutter or other tool so as to present an open slot d. A second slot 0 is then milled in the shaft end at right angles to the first, which second slot need not, however, be circularly enlarged at its base.

Two flat clutch members as shown in Fi \ures 3 and 4, are then formed separate y each provided with a circular head 9 and made of a rectangular cross section 7 to fit the respective slot and bore. With advantage these clutch members are cut from appropriately rolled or drawn material. Each clutch member is provided with a central slot 72. by means of which the two members are fitted one over the other as shown in Figure 5. The circular head 9 is, as shown at '2 preferably milled away on each side to facilitate said intertitting, which -latter, however, does not, of course, take place until after each clutch. member has beep inserted in the corresponding bores c and slots d and e respectively of its shaft end. After such insertion and connection, it will be found that the two shafts would be reliably coupled and the clutch thus formed enabling the shafts to per form relatively large movements and ensuring sufficient flexibility in every way. The transmisison of PT'VGI takes places through the clutch member, in which action the cylindrical heads 9 accommodated in the bores c of the shaft ends transmit the pressure over a relatively large surface. This has the advantage of a reduced Wear.

I claim:

1. A shaft coupling comprising shaft ends having the same contour as the shaft with transverse slots and circular seats at the ends of said slots and relatively movable flat plates having cylindrical heads fitting said seats and slots, the shaft ends also having slots at right angles to the afore-mentioned slots and the plates slotted from opposite edges to interfit and form a cross ex tending into both shaft ends.

2. A shaft coupling comprising shaft ends having transverse slots in each at right angles to one another, and flat interfitting crossed plates seated in said slots.

3. A shaft coupling comprising shaft ends each having transverse slots at right angles to one another, at least one of said slots having a cylindrical enlargement at its end, and flat, interfitting crossed plates seated in said slots, at least one of said plates having a cylindrical head fitting said enlargement.

4.. A shaft coupling comprising shaft ends fill each having transverse slots at right angles to one another, one slot in one shaft end having a cvlindrical seat at right angles to a like cylindrical seat in the opposite shaft end and flat intel'fittin plates at right angles to} one another aving cylindrical heads fitting the seats in the respective shaft on s.

5. A shaft coupling comprising shaft ends each having two transverse slots at right angles to one another, one slot heing' extended into a cylindrical seat extending transversely through its shaft end, and flat interfitting lates at right angles to one another exten ing into the slots in both shaft ends, and one end of a plate having a cylindrical head fittin said seat.

In testimony t at I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have si ed my name. KARL FRIEDRIC UNGERER. 

